(HealthDay)—For patients with hypertriglyceridemia, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglyceride (TG) reductions depend of the choice and dose of statin, according to research published in the May 1 issue ...

(HealthDay)—For Japanese patients who have undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), atorvastatin plus ezetimibe is associated with improved outcomes versus atorvastatin alone, according to a study published in ...

When it comes to cholesterol-lowering statin medications for patients with type 2 diabetes, rosuvastatin may be a better choice than atorvastatin, according to the findings of a new study presented today at ESC Congress 2014.

The search continues for an agent that increases high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and reduces arterial plaque, after the experimental apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1) inducer, RVX-208 failed to do so in the ApoA1 Synthesis Stimulation ...

The type of healthcare reimbursement system influences the achievement of cholesterol targets, reveals research presented at ESC Congress 2013 today by Dr. Anselm Kai Gitt from Germany. The subanalysis of the Dyslipidemia ...

People who stop taking cholesterol drugs may be at an increased risk for developing Parkinson's disease, according to research that appears in the July 24, 2013, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American ...

(HealthDay)—Initiating statin therapy is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, which is not explained by differential survival, according to a study published in the May issue of Diabetes Care.

Atorvastatin

Atorvastatin (INN) ( /əˌtɔrvəˈstætən/), sold by Pfizer under the trade name Lipitor, is a member of the drug class known as statins, used for lowering blood cholesterol. It also stabilizes plaque and prevents strokes through anti-inflammatory and other mechanisms. Like all statins, atorvastatin works by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme found in liver tissue that plays a key role in production of cholesterol in the body.

Atorvastatin was first synthesized in 1985 by Bruce Roth while working at Parke-Davis Warner-Lambert Company (now Pfizer). With 2008 sales of US$12.4 billion, Lipitor was the top-selling branded pharmaceutical in the world. U.S. patent protection was scheduled to expire in June 2011. However, Pfizer made an agreement with Ranbaxy Laboratories to delay the generic launch in the U.S. until November 30, 2011.